What are the most popular fads or crazes that have hit your country? Think about games, fashions, popular TV shows, must-have objects, etc.

Who invented the Rubik’s cube?When did the Rubik’s cube become popular?When was the Rubik’s cube invented?What was the Rubik’s cube originally called?How many videos are there on YouTube featuring tutorials and solutions to the Rubik’s cube?

The Mail October 2016

Rubik’s cube comes out top in a poll of the biggest crazes

The Rubik’s Cube has been hailed the most loved craze

of all time according to a new poll.

It left many of us scratching our heads back in the eighties, and now many modern kids show off how quickly they can complete it.

The colourful 3D puzzle invented in 1974 by Erno Rubik beat a host of other new and retro crazes to the top of a list of 100 biggest fads based on a survey of the nation.

Originally called the magic cube, it is widely considered

to be the world’s bestselling toy – and it remains popular to this day with over 40,000 videos on YouTube featuring tutorials and solutions to the complex puzzle.

The Most Popular Fads

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reading

Was the Rubik’s cube popular where you live? Discuss these questions about the craze and then read the first part of the article to check your ideas:

B

Did you or do you have a Rubik’s Cube and if so, do you know how to solve it?b

Runners-up in the poll were conkers, the Parker Pen, lava lamps and marbles. In which order do you think they came?Which do you think was the only TV show to make the list?Which fashion item, popular with punks in the 70’s and 80’s, came seventh on the list?Which two dance crazes featured in the poll?Apart from the fashion item at number 7, what other fashion items made the list?Which addictive game installed on early Nokia mobile phones appeared on the list?Which internet phenomena appeared on the list?Which trend, made famous by Miley Cyrus, made it on the list?Which was the best decade for fads and cool crazes?Which haircuts were mentioned on the list?

Discuss these questions and then read the next part of the article and check your ideas:B

The Most Popular Fads reading

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Which of the fads mentioned were popular where you live? Which decade produced the most fads in your country? Do you still have some of your old toys? Have you encouraged anyone to get into a craze that you loved as a child? How much do you think you have spent on fads and crazes over the course of your life?

b

Runner-up in the poll was the Parker Pen which was the must-have writing implement for studious school pupils back in the day.

Lava lamps, marbles and conkers completed the top five most loved fads in the poll that was carried out by Heinz Beanz.

The only TV show to make the list was the hit sitcom Friends which came in at number six in the list, just ahead of Dr Martens – the footwear of choice for punks in the 70’s and 80’s.

Two dance crazes featured in the poll – Saturday Night by Whigfield and the more recent Gangnam Style.

One of the more modern fads to make the list was the onesie in fifteenth place which became a must have in 2013

thanks to a host of celebs being pictured out and about in the oversized babygro.

Other fashion items that made the top 100 were UGG boots which came in 21st place and Crocs (56th place).

Going further back to the days of Hippie fashion bell-bottomed trousers ranked 27th.

The addictive game snake came in nineteenth place – the game which was installed on early Nokia mobile phones left users furiously tapping at keys in the early noughties.

Selfies and planking also were featured in 54th and 92nd place respectively, as was the current phenomenon of Pokemon Go.

The current trend for twerking, made famous by Miley Cyrus just made it on the list at 99 followed by POD shoes, favoured by schoolgirls in the 1990s.

The poll also revealed that the best decade for fads and cool crazes was the 1980s.

Perms, My Little Pony and break dancing were among the fads to emerge from the

80s, along with BMX bikes, Action Man dolls and leg warmers.

And perms weren’t the only dodgy haircut to get a mention – the curtains hair cut favoured by boy bands in the nineties came in at 84, along with the ‘Rachel’ cut (60th place) inspired by Jennifer Aniston’s popular Friends character of the same name.

Half of the 2,000 adults polled said they still have some of their old toys.

Of the parents that were studied one in five said they have encouraged their children to get into a craze that they loved as a child.

The survey also revealed the average adult has spent a whopping £1,523 on fads and crazes over the course of their life.

The Most Popular Fads reading

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V Match the words and expressions to these definitions:

The Rubik’s Cube has been hailed the most loved craze of all time... …and now many modern kids show off how quickly they can complete it. The colourful 3D puzzle ... beat a host of other new and retro crazes…Runner-up in the poll was the Parker Pen…The only TV show to make the list was the hit sitcom Friends……celebs being pictured out and about in the oversized babygro.And perms weren’t the only dodgy haircut to get a mention…The survey also revealed the average adult has spent a whopping £1,523 on fads…

___ say publicly how good or important someone or something is___ a contestant finishing a race or competition in second place___ child___ not very good in quality___ successful, popular___ a lot of people or things___ extremely large___ going out of the house to work, taking part in social activity, etc.

V Explain the meaning of the highlighted words in these extracts from the article:

What does the highlighted expression in this extract from the article mean?E

The Mail October 2016

It left many of us scratching our heads back in the eighties...

There are other expressions in English with head. Match the expressions to their correct meaning.lose one’s head __ crazy, insane; not be in control of your behavioura big head __ a conceited, arrogant personoff the top of one’s head __ lose one’s self-controlhead and shoulders above __ beyond one’s understandingoff (out of) one’s head __ far superior toover one’s head __ spontaneously

V

John’s always talking about how successful he is.Having been given a red card, Cristiano hit the referee.Mary was very drunk and didn’t know what she was doing.I went to an advanced class by mistake – I’m only a beginner.David’s performance is much better than Steve’s.My boss suddenly asked me to predict next year’s sales, but I hadn’t thought about it before.

React to these statements using the idioms studied:V

dodgy haircut

The Most Popular Fads reading

student pages 3Teacher’s notes 1/2 intermediate+ (B1+)week of 24.10.16

V Match the words and expressions to these definitions: say publicly how good or important someone or something is a contestant finishing a race or competition in second place child not very good in quality successful, popular a lot of people or things extremely large going out of the house to work, taking part in social activity, etc.

What does the highlighted expression in this extract from the article mean?Escratch one’s head = think hard in order to find a solution to something

There are other expressions in English with head. Match the expressions to their correct meaning.

lose one’s head crazy, insane; not be in control of your behaviour a big head a conceited, arrogant person off the top of one’s head lose one’s self-control head and shoulders above beyond one’s understanding off (out of) one’s head far superior to over one’s head spontaneously

V

John’s always talking about how successful he is.Suggested answer: So he’s a real big head.

Having been given a red card, Cristiano hit the referee.Suggested answer: Cristiano does sometimes lose his head.

Mary was very drunk and didn’t know what she was doing.Suggested answer: She was off her head.

I went to an advanced class by mistake – I’m only a beginner.Suggested answer: It must have been over your head.

David’s performance is much better than Steve’s.Suggested answer: David is head and shoulders above Steve.

My boss suddenly asked me to predict next year’s sales, but I hadn’t thought about it before.Suggested answer: You had to answer off the top of your head.

React to these statements using the idioms studied:V

Follow-up activity Read the full list to the students and ask them which of the fads they know and whether they were crazes in their country.

g

TOP 100 MOST LOVED FADS OF ALL TIME1. Rubik’s Cube2. Parker Pens

3. Lava Lamps4. Marbles5. Conkers

The Most Popular Fads reading

Teacher’s notes 2/2 intermediate+ (B1+)week of 24.10.16

6. Friends (the TV Show)7. Doc Martens8. Pac Man9. BMX10. Yoyos11. Action Man12. Matchbox cars13. Mood rings14. Slinkys15. Onesies16. Have a nice Day (smiley face)17. Top Trumps18. Leg warmers19. Snake (Nokia phone game)20. The hula hoop21. UGG Boots22. Barbie23. Hubba Bubba bubblegum24. Frisbees25. The Raleigh Chopper26. Transformers27. Bell bottom trousers28. CK One perfume29. Blow-up chairs30. Punks31. Troll dolls32. Furbies33. Pokemon Go34. Bum bags35. Glam rock36. My Little Pony37. Angry Birds38. New Romantics39. Tamagotchis40. Hippies41. Gangnam Style42. Handheld LCD games43. Butterfly clips44. Beanie Babies45. Break dancing46. Pogo sticks47. Drainpipe jeans48. Hot Wheels cards49. Scratch N Sniff stickers50. Calculator watches51. Goths52. Crazy frog53. Crimped hair

54. Selfies55. Candy bracelets56. Crocs57. The Perm58. Jelly shoes59. Weebles60. The ‘Rachel’ haircut61. Flumps62. The Whigfield Saturday Night Dance63. G-shock watches64. Grunge65. Ra-ra skirts66. Cabbage patch dolls67. Push pops68. Ouija boards69. Mods70. Pokemon cards71. Bop It72. HeMan figures73. Napster74. Game demo discs75. Turn-ups76. Trouser skirts77. Kappa jackets78. Shell suits79. Rubik’s snake80. Sea monkeys81. Tazos82. Waterbeds83. Pogs84. Curtains hair cut85. Polly Pocket and Mighty Max86. Dummy necklaces87. Bubble-gum tap88. Snap bracelets89. The Limbo90. Neon hyper colour t-shirts91. Hacky sack92. Planking93. Hair gems94. Pet rocks95. Wacky Wall Walkers96. Heelies97. Trucker hats98. Teddy Ruxpin99. Twerking100. POD shoes